The Nosy Gamer has an interesting post up pondering the question whether Star Citizen is a threat for EVE Online. He quotes somebody from CCP who appears to be not worried because "It's not a sandbox MMO". Now I am pretty sure that a good number of people play EVE because it is a sandbox MMO. All the stories that make the rounds in the MMO blogosphere about treachery and betrayal and scams in EVE Online only exist because EVE Online is a sandbox MMO. And thus a game like Star Citizen wouldn't be a good alternative to people who play EVE Online for the sandbox aspects.

But what about the famous 80% of players that never leave the safe part of the EVE galaxy? Isn't it likely that a good number of them are in fact not so much interested in the sandbox aspects of EVE, but rather play the game because they like playing a modern online version of Elite? If you play EVE because you haven't found another online game which allows you a career as interstellar merchant or fighter pilot, wouldn't you be rather tempted by Star Citizen?

I very much agree that EVE Online's unique selling point is being a sandbox MMO. I'm just not so sure that every EVE player plays that game only or mostly for that reason. It isn't as if you had the choice between all that many space-faring MMOs.

I agree that the sociopaths play EVE because it is a sandbox but the play sci-fi ships crowd also could be interested. The question is could there be a tipping point: if enough casuals/victims leave, then is a game with increasing % of only the killer archetype as viable?

I am not sure how good a game SC will be, but I do think it is about the most skillful use of Kickstarter I have seen. As the steady beat of PR and KS goals, they get more interest. Even discussing "is SC a competitor" is a huge win for a tiny unlaunched, relatively unknown game.

My quibble is that of course SC is not the biggest competitor to EVE: that is obviously DUST 514. SC can't take (tens of ?) millions of development dollars from EVE; DUST did.

I do think that WoT and especially upcoming planes is also attacking on the time efficiency. "Have 20 minutes, get a game" is becoming increasingly common and not something MMOs are good at but especially not EVE.

"Have 20 minutes, get a game" is becoming increasingly common and not something MMOs are good at but especially not EVE.

Not sure that is actually a problem. I hear lots of people do other stuff WHILE playing EVE. Although obviously I'd recommend playing a short game on a tablet while flying through space, not switching to a World of Planes window and missing that you're being attacked in EVE.

Star Citizen is very appealing to me because it is not EVE. I did the 7 day EVE trial expecting a wing commander type experience and it was so far from what I wanted that I never logged in again. Piloting a spaceship via drop down menu's is not fun. My biggest concern with Star Citizen is the cost model. I've read the website a number of times and I don't really understand - which make me think that I'll get burnt.

I play eve, though this is mostly because I like sci Fi, and fall into that group of players who spent to much time on games like privateer and wing commander. So I am playeve because it is sci Fi (In space!) First and sandbox somewhere after that.

I play eve, though this is mostly because I like sci Fi, and fall into that group of players who spent to much time on games like privateer and wing commander. So I am playeve because it is sci Fi (In space!) First and sandbox somewhere after that.

Honestly Eve isn't even really much in the way of a sandbox. But like others have already said it is the only SciFi in space and it happens to have some sandbox elements. It's honestly less about having sandbox elements and more about not having theme park elements, which to some people means that it must be a sandbox.

I doubt EVE is in any danger because there is a big market for competitive PVP focussed games (Leage of Legends comes to mind).

However you do bring up a very interesting point that brings us all the way back to R. Bartle's famous "Diamonds, Hearts etc." Bartle contended that the most sustainable game world had a balance between killers, socialisers and explorers. If you attract all of one category away does that undermine the whole game?